The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Conventional vehicle powertrains translate torque and speed from a prime mover (for example, an internal combustion engine) to one or more wheels through a transmission. Various torsional damping assemblies have been employed to dampen the vibrations and oscillations generated by the prime mover. For example, some powertrains employ a flywheel between an engine and a clutch. When the clutch is engaged, the flywheel helps to reduce vibrations from propagating from the engine through the powertrain. With increased demand for improved vibration characteristics in vehicles, the single mass flywheel, however, has been inadequate in particular situations, such as, for example, in their use in smaller engines.
As a result, some powertrain arrangements employ a dual mass flywheel with a pair of rotating masses connected to each other with a spring and damper system to reduce the amount of torsional vibrations in the powertrain. A first mass is connected to the engine crankshaft on the engine side of the spring and damper system and a second mass is connected to the clutch side of the spring and damper system. In some powertrains, a drive ring is employed that forms an annular channel having a plurality of coil springs carried in the channel. These spring-mass damper systems, however, may amplify oscillations and pulsations in certain speed ranges. In view of the above, it is apparent there exists a need for a flywheel assembly that further reduces powertrain vibrations.